Traitor
by Noble Reason
Summary: A short drabble set after the events of Count Down To Destruction and also references the episode Forever Red.


_Traitor! You killed Zordon! How can you call yourself a Power Ranger? Wasn't your mission supposed to be to save Zordon? How could you do such a thing?_

He's heard it all. He's been called many names in many languages, most he didn't understand, but D.E.C.A. could translate and he could read body language well enough to get the gist of the message. In fact, he's heard the angry words so much that he himself began to believe in them. It's what happens when someone repeatedly calls you something—even something nasty. You begin to believe it. Even Andros wasn't immune to such happenings just because he'd not been from Earth?

_Would it have made a difference_? If he'd hailed from Earth and not KO=35, would his deed have been received any differently? Had Andros been one of Zordon's chosen, would his deed be hailed as a good sacrifice and not a traitorous stab in the back to the Power Ranger's legacy? Sometimes he questioned that, mused on it, but he'll never know and no one will know Zordon's final words, his final command for Andros to do what he did. Its hearsay when he speaks and no one—not even his own team will believe him. Yes they stand by him, but even they had their moments.

If he'd confessed to it earlier, they might have reacted better, but how do you tell your team that you killed their mentor? Sure they were not directly linked to Zordon, but he had attended their power transfer ceremony and that counted for something among Earthlings. Andros still didn't understand, but he gave them their space.

The worst comments came from the Teams that preceded his friends. Tommy was the most understanding…after he beat the shit out of Andros that is. When he saw Tommy that first time—Andros actually had a real fear of him. When it came to Tommy, Andros usually showed him respect, deference even. That didn't save him from Tommy's wrath that first time. The Kerovian could understand why the former Power Ranger was upset, but the important thing was that he treated Andros better than the rest… Even if he did beat the crap out of him after finding out. The red ranger wouldn't call them friends, but they were good enough to call each other when they needed something—and when evil needed to be stopped. Their relationship was mutual respect, but Andros wouldn't go running to him when he needed to talk.

Jason was actually the worst. Jason and Andros actually got into it worse than he had with Tommy. Jason hated Andros and the only reason he knew was because he let it be known, before everyone at Zordon's memorial. In fact, he cracked a few of Andros' ribs before Tommy and Adam could pull him off the red space ranger. Unfortunately, they had to work together on a mission once—and while they did so peacefully, afterwards was a different story. Once the group split, Jason lit into Andros calling him a traitor. In fact, he started the trend and his friends followed suit, but Andros was understanding enough to know that Jason led Zordon's original five teenagers. He's certain if he'd been in Jason's place, he'd have done the same.

The fact of the matter is that it's been a few years since then, four actually. Still, he's haunted by his choices, haunted by his deed. It's something he can't get away from, no matter how hard he tries because the others won't let it go. Only instead of leading a quiet life, he's buried himself in ranger duties, heading the call. He's been on the moon mission, in fact that incident wasn't too long ago and it brought up every feeling he had tried to bury. The only difference between the end of the space ranger's mission and now is that his friends are all on Earth—even Ashley.

While their relationship was strong, Andros was absent far more than he was around. His life is one of constant motion. Every day is spent on the Megaship. There's guilt there, but if Andros isn't out tracking down evil, well, he feels he'll have a breakdown and he can't burden Ashley with knowing that the whispers, the words, the guilt is getting to him. He'd been so busy playing leader that Andros forgot how to ask for help, forgot how to scream when he needed to, to punch when he felt the need to and to cry when he was hurt. Red has always been meant to carry the team—although in his case, the team tended to follow T.J. more than him, but he'd accepted that since T.J. had been their red before him. It caused less arguments that way.

As red, it was his duty to sacrifice, to make decisions and lead them to victory, but he didn't do that. Actually, they were losing the battle when Andros acted on Zordon's orders. Even if he did wave it away with the "I did what needed to be done" the space rangers would have called him cruel, cowardly, and cold. Andros was a rigid leader at times and even they knew that—it's why he started to believe those words as well and held out on the fact that he killed Zordon for as long as he could. Sometimes they forget he's human—even if he is alien.

Everyone forgets that he's human—even him! It's not until he's alone on the Megaship that he remembers his humanity and his feelings, but he doesn't want to whine and he certainly doesn't want sympathy. The Power Rangers from Earth are right to hate him despite the fact that he had a small part in holding off the invasion of Dark Specter, despite the fact that he kept Earth from becoming the next KO-35. None of that mattered. He did the unthinkable, killing everyone's beloved Zordon and rightly should be called a monster. It's why he alienated himself from everyone he loved or called friend—speaking only long enough to let them know he is alive and visiting Ashley long enough to give her the love she craved from him and worked hard to get him to show and then ran off again despite her tears. He's a monster, something evil—a traitor to the Power Ranger name and he believed that because it was whispered like sweet nothings in his ear by those before him and those who would come after who learned of the truth.

It's why he is alone, turning his one friend and remaining fellow Kerovian away. It's why he let his sister go to explore the universe without a second thought. He won her back and it was time she redeemed herself for being Astronema. Zhane deserved to live without being "A friend of the traitor". The universe could accept Astronema being redeemed and Rita and Zedd being purified and human, but it couldn't accept Andros because he killed a paragon of good.

It's not fair, but it's how things work and the young adult accepted it without another thought because he was impressionable, self-sacrificing, and sensitive despite the aloof exterior. It's why he fell into depression but never uttered a cry of help to his own team who lived happily on Earth and why he undertook missions constantly as a power ranger, never once setting his morpher down.

_He needs to be forgiven and redeemed, but he can't ask for it, or for help. It's not what a Red Ranger does—it's not what Andros does._

Did he learn anything at all? Yes and no. He learned to ask for help, but he can't—his cries fall on deaf ears. _He's a traitor to the eyes of the ones who carried on Zordon's legacy and he wouldn't have it any other way. Someone had to do it—and he did for the good of the universe. He's an alien and a human and the traitorous red ranger who saved two worlds but his deeds will never be sung by his fellow power rangers._

_Maybe it's better that way._


End file.
